Introduction to Spencerian Handwriting

Learn how to write in cursive!

In this class, we’re going to cover the component strokes, connections, and spacing of writing letters in Spencerian cursive. 

Based on the system developed by Platt Rogers Spencer in 1840, the Spencerian script consists of seven component strokes, and has been taught in American businesses and schools until the 1920s. 

Strict rules allow this form of penmanship to attain levels of mathematical precision, while leaving room for adding personal character to your handwriting with flourishes in the capital letters. 

Since this is a class for handwriting practice, we won’t insist on being 100% precise. I want you to feel comfortable using this cursive style in everyday situations. So we’ll start by going over the component strokes and the rules, and then it’s up to you how many you want to break as we go on practicing individual letters, and writing words and phrases. 

Since you will be learning a new way of writing, it doesn’t matter what your handwriting looks like now. So feel free to get back into a beginners mindset, which means this might be frustrating at first, but if you keep at it, you’ll see progress in no time. 

I've added Bonus lessons where I'll demo warm-up drills and exercises, and we'll also take a quick look at the Palmer method for handwriting, and the differences between Spencerian handwriting, Spencerian Calligraphy, and Spencerian Letting. 

Ready? Let’s get started!